//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Mastering the elements: the Earth pony chronicles // by Eriku719 //------------------------------// Chapter 10 The party has concluded and all the Canterlot ponies have gone to their homes. The mane six waits at the train station for Erick to meet with them. Soon enough, Erick has appeared with his saddle and other personal belongings and with the princess of the day. “What took you so long Erick? We were ready to leave without you?” said Rainbow Dash “Sorry, it’s just that I had to double check to see if I have everything I needed.” Said Erick. He then turned to the princess to say his goodbyes. “Well then, I guess this is goodbye for now Celestia, but I promise to visit one day.” “I’m sorry Luna couldn’t come to say goodbye, but she does have a responsibility as princess of the night.” Said Celestia. “I know,” Erick’s cheeks started to have a small shade of red “She already gave me a parting gift at the party” The princess then gave him his goodbye hug. “Be safe my little pony.” The train’s engine roared, letting the travelers know it was time to enter the train. The mane six and Erick stuck their heads out the window as they waved goodbye to the princess and Canterlot. They then entered their heads back into the train and Twilight asked, “Hey Erick… What was Luna’s parting gift?” “NOTHING!!!” Erick blurted out in embarrassment and then calm down. “J-Just another goodbye hug… and nothing more.” They all then went to the resting cart but there seemed to be one problem. “That’s weird, we all have tickets but it said there’s only six beds left.” Said Twilight. Just then, the conductor came by to talk to Erick. “Hey coal-colt-er I mean sir Erick.” Said the conductor. “Oh hello sir, is there anything you needed?” asked Erick. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry for making you do that work my coal-colt was supposed to do from your last train ride.” Said the conductor. “It’s alright, I didn’t mind doing some work.” Said Erick. “Well to make it up to you, we upgraded your ticket free of charge. Your bedroom is right this way.” The conductor guided Erick to another cart and the mane six came along to see his new bed. The cart was entirely made to look like a Canterlot bedroom with fluffy pillows, warm blankets and a soft mattress to sleep on. “We hope you enjoy your sleep.” Said the conductor as he walked away. At that moment, Rarity will attempt to take the bed from Erick. “Oh my you certainly got a comfortable bed Erick, it would be so nice to have a bed like this.” Said Rarity. “Well if you want can-“ “Sleep here for tonight!? Oh Erick you’re such a gentle colt.” said Rarity, but Erick stopped her by finishing his sentence. “What I ment to say that I can ask the conductor if he could let you shovel coal too, but would you look at the time, it’s to for me to get some rest so goodnight.” Erick then pushed the mane six out of his cart. “But, wait how aout if we-“ Rarity was stopped in mid-sentence as Erick closed the door in front of her. “Oh he’s good.” And so Erick and the others went to sleep, but for him, he would meet with another friend in his dreams. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ His dream was interrupted by his foalhood friend Luna. “Hello Erick” said Luna “Hi Luna, what brings you here in my dream?” “Oh, nothing it’s just that you forgot this, it’ll help you financially when you get to Ponyville” Luna then gave Erick an old scroll and he opened it and it was an old bank account document with his name on it. “Wow! You kept my account? I thought it would’ve been lost over time. Thank you Luna.” Said Erick “Well when you….. passed on, your step-father gave it to me in order to teach how to save money and now I think it’s time for me to give it back to its financial owner.” Said Luna. “Well thank again.” Said Erick. “Your welcome and now it’s time for me to go.” Said Luna. “Wait. Since this is a dream…” Erick then used dream logic to have a tea table appear out of nowhere. “would you like to have some dream tea with me?” “Why thank you Erick.” Luna then sat down with him and enjoyed his dream together. “Now then, it looks like the morning sun is coming up, until we meet again. Goodbye.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Luna then disappeared and Erick woke up and found the same scroll that Luna gave him next to his luggage. “…..so then, was it a dream?” Ask soon as Erick stepped out of the train he asked his new friends where the nearest bank of Equestria was at. After waiting in line for a while Erick went up to the bank teller and ask for a money account check. “May I see some identification?” asked the bank teller. Erick then showed his documents to him the teller and the teller couldn’t take him seriously. “Sir if you can wait for a few hours while we get our higher officials back at Canterlot to come here and Verify this document?” asked the teller. “Of course.” Said Erick as he found himself a place to sit and read his encyclopedia until the higher officials come. After the officials came and considered Erick’s account to be real, he asked “So hold much bits are in my account?” “Well based on the hold much you put in when you first opened it plus the interest rate and over the years that would equal up to…” the teller did the math and wrote down how much bits he had, he was shocked by how much bits he has under his name. “What? Is it that bad?” Erick looked at the number and Erick suddenly collapsed in joy. He got back up and told them “Can I get some bits from my savings?” After that ordeal was over with Erick asked spike to send a letter he made to princess Celestia and not too soon a response letter came back and by the look on Erick’s face, it was just what he wanted. “Well now that everything I need is coming soon I better think who to choose.” Said Erick “Choose what?” say Spike. “Which element I should learn first.” Erick said and he thought hard about it and he came up to a decision “I decide that the first element I should learn is the element of honesty. Miss Applejack, may you take me under your hooves as a student of honesty?” “Why sure thing sugar cube, but you don’t have to call me your teach.” Said Applejack. “Thank you applejack, but first…. I don’t want to be a burden, but… do you have a place for me to live until I find myself a home?” said Erick “Why, there’s always enough room for a friend at Sweet Apple Acres. Just follow me and I’ll show ya your new home.” Said Applejack as she was waiting for him to follow. “Well gals I guess I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Said Erick as he waved by to his friends. As the walk through a dirt path, Erick started to notice around him a lot of apple trees, he looked at a hill that had nothing but apple trees on it. As the went further, Erick’s eye caught sight of a farm at the end of the path. “Well Erick, welcome to Sweet Apple Acres.” Said Applejack. “This is a nice home you have here A.J.” said Erick. “Why thank you Erick and if you think the home is nice, just wait until you meet my family.” Applejack guided Erick to her house where all her relatives were waiting for her. “O.k family, starting today, we’re having a guest stay with us so I hope you all treat him like family.” Said Applejack to her family as they all agreed with her. “I would like to say that for one I’m glad you all taken me in and I promise not to be a burden and secondly, before you ask yes I’m an Alicorn, but that doesn’t mean you have to treat me like royalty. “ said Erick “Alright now let’s get introductions out of the way. Erick you already know my lil sis Applebloom.” Said Applejack “Hello again young one.” Erick said as he offered his hoof to her. “Nice to see you again Erick, I can’t wait to have some fun with you.” Said Applebloom as she hoof bumped his hoof and she looked at his flanked and went into a state of happiness. “Wow, Erick I can’t believe you got your cutie mark in one day. That’s amazing.” “Yeah I guess so.” Said Erick. “Now then, this here my granny, granny Smith.” Said Applejack as she introduced Erick to an elder pony with a green skin color and with wrinkles. “Why how do you do youngster.” Asked Granny Smith. “I’m doing well ma’am and might I say you have a nice grandaughter for letting me stay here.” Said Erick. “And last we have my brother, Big Macintosh” Said Applejack as she introduced Erick to a tall red stallion. “Nice to meet you sir.” Said Erick “Eeyup” said Big Mac “Not much of a talker are you?” said Erick “Eeyup” said Big Mac “Well now that introductions are over, Big Mac, if you can show Erick his new bedroom we’ll start off the work day.” Said Applejack as she went outside to get ready for work After Erick left his luggage at the guest room, he went outside to see what everyone was doing. What he saw was Applebloom setting up buckets under trees, Applejack kicking the trees so the apples can land in the buckets and Big Mac loading the buckets to a wagon and taking them to the barn to store them. As he stood there and watched, Erick was getting bored and wanted to do something productive with them so he went to Granny Smith and asked for anything job he could help out with. Soon after the Apple family siblings were done picking apples, granny smith went up to them. “Now Applejack, todays your turn to sell apple at the market today, but I want you to bring your friend and teach him how to sell.” Said Granny Smith. “I don’t know granny. He’s our guest so he shouldn’t work with us.” Said Applejack “But that’s the thing, he asked me to something here at the farm and I thought maybe he can help us put during his stay. So will you let him?” asked Granny Smith “Very well granny.” Apple then went and got some apples from the barn along with a wagon stand. “Well if you wanna help, mind pulling me to town?” “Yes ma’am.” Erick then pulled the wagon with applejack on it back to ponyville. After selling apples all day the sun was starting to set and so it ment for everypony to go back to their homes. As they got home, supper was waiting for them and they all sat down and eat. While eating Erick thought it was time to talk with granny smith about some important things. “Excuse me Miss smith but I understand that you’re the landlord of this farm right?” asked Erick “That’s right Erick.” Said Smith “Well you see, I came into a little of money and so I would like to ask if I can purchase some land from you. I understand if you don’t want sell but I’ll be willing to paid the full amount of how much that land is worth.” After much thinking Granny Smith came to an answer. “You said you’ll pay?” “Yes.” Said Erick. “Well you got yourself a deal sonny, but you’ll have to help in the moving of the trees and replanting tomorrow.” Said Granny Smith “ Thank you so much and have a pleasant night sleep.” Said Erick as he went to the guest room to sleep and tell Luna the good news. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “And then she said yes and now I’ll have some land of my own.” said Erick to Luna in his dream. “But why would you want to buy land if you have a place to stay?” asked Luna. “Well…. I want to build myself a home. I don’t like living with someone else with the exception of my step-dad.” Said Erick. “Well then…. I guess I can help you out, I’ll sent dream flyers to the other residents of ponyville and see that they’ll help.” said Luna as she left Erick to let him sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The morning sun came and it was time for Erick to keep his deal. After the moving and replanting of the apple trees just as they’ve finished a group of pegasi with matching uniforms came by and the leader asked where Erick was. “That would be me” said Erick “Please sign here.” The leader gave him a clipboard to sign and he then took from him and gave his fellow employees a signal to leave the supplies Erick order the other day. “Thank for ordering your supplies from Canterlot construction Co. have a nice day.” said the leader as he left with his team. “Anyways you can leave now. I’ll handle this and call if I need help.” said Erick to Apple Family. As he was working about an hour passed and he already has the main structure of the house done and at that moment a grey Pegasus came by to talk to him. “Um. Excuse me are Erick? I’m about the job offer.” said the Pegasus. “Yes I am and thank you for helping. What made come here?” asked Erick. “Well I had dream about a land made of muffins and then the princess of night came and told to help an alicorn and I saw you so here I am.” “Why thank you. (and thank you luna, but this pegasus’ eyes are bugging me.) and might I asked for your name?” said Erick. “My name is Ditzy Doo, but you can call me Derpy Hooves.” said the grey pegasus. Erick then gave her a hard construction hat for her to wear and a belt for her tools. As the continued building the house some mishaps happened to Erick. Such as thunder clouds striking near Erick, getting thrown into the cement mix by accident, and somehow the breaking of physics, but after all that… “Wow what a nice home. Huh Derpy?” asked Erick “It sure is Erick.” said Derpy. “Yeah….” Erick then turned from the house he was looking at to his home with was in ruins. “WHY DOESN’T MY HOUSE LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THAT!?” He then ran to his house with a hammer in anger and started beating the house. “Erick calm down. Here have a muffin.” Derpy said as she offers him one. Erick calmed down and said to himself, “How am I going finish this home now?” Derpy then came up with an idea “I know how about a song? Sometime when I’m at work, I sing to myself a song and before I know it, the work day is done.” “But I don’t know how to sing.” Said Erick “It doesn’t matter as long as you have a beat.” said Derpy as he pulled out a piece of wood, nails and a hammer and started making a beat. “I’d like to build my friend a house, And furnish it with wood, Get paid in bits, to feed my foal And have some extra more.” “Hey that’s kinda catchy” said Erick as he got his tools in his hooves “Let me try…” “I’d like to build myself a home, And warm it up with coal, I’d like my home to stay ahold For all eternity” “See, now you’re getting it.” Said Derpy “lets set this tarp up on the top, And build ourselves a roof. Lets hammer it down with our own hooves In perfect harmony” “Hey I think this is working.” said Erick “I like to work with my new friend, In perfect harmony Do Do Do Dooh Do Do Do Dooh Do Do Do Do Do Dooh” By this point the house is half way done. “I’d like build my friend a home, And furnish it with wood, Get paid in bits, to feed my foal And have some extra more.” “I think it’s nice that you have a foal Mrs. Hooves” said Erick. “I’d like to sleep inside my home, When we’re all done with it. And eat some food when we are done, With painting the kitchen.” “Actually it’s Miss Hooves” said Derpy “So let us both build you a home, While standing Hoof in Hoof, I’d like to see you smile and wave, Goodbye from your new home.” “Together this time?” said Erick. “You know it.” said Derpy. “I’d like to build with my new friend, In perfect harmony. La La La Laah La La La Laah La La La La La Laah” With the house all done and up to Erick’s standards he then made invites for a house warming party for the mane six, any friends or relatives of theirs and of course for Miss Hooves. The party was a success and so Erick then began his learning of Honesty. He thought honesty was found by doing an honest day’s work, so he asked for a job at Sweet Apple Acres, but with no such luck. Months passed and he still worked for them and learned many things, How to buck a tree properly, make sweet cider for the season, even zap apple and for a moment, Erick felt like family. One week later…. “Hey Miss Smith, some mail was delivered to me by accident. Here you go.” said Erick as he handed their mail to her. When she opened the mail her eyes grew big and immediately went to a triangle and rang it to call her grandkids over. “I just mail and it says the apple games are in five more days.” immediately they all cheered in joy. “What’s the apple games?” asked Erick. “The apple games are when everypony from the apple family compete against each other for the big apple trophy and we gotten it for the past five years.” Said Applebloom “Eeyup.” Said Big Mac “That’s sounds nice. Where’s it at?” asked Erick “It says this year it’s in Appleloosa.” said Granny Smith. “Granny we got to take Erick with us. Show him our family.” Said Applejack “Well…. The apple games are for family only… but I’ll make an exception.” “Thanks you Miss Smith.” Said Erick After a few days of practicing and packing up, Erick and the apple family were on a train to appleloosa. They arrive there within a few hours and Erick followed them to the registration table for the apple games, but some bad news came to them. “Sorry cuz, but this year it’s teams of three. Granny smith is too old to compete” Said BraeBurn “But what about Applebloom?” said Applejack “Nice try, but she’s too young… I’m sorry, but I guess you won’t be competing this year.” Said BraeBurn Erick saw the sad looks on their face, all the packing and training for nothing… something had to done. “Wait! I’ll compete with them.” said Erick. “And you are???” said BraeBurn “I’m Erick Flowers or Flower Power.” said Erick. “And what is your relationship with them? Because I have never seen an Alicorn in our family reunions.” asked BraeBurn. Erick had to come up with something. He had to lie. “Well… Applebloom and Big Macintosh are my siblings-in-law, Granny Smith is my grandma-in-law…” Applejack knew where this was going and was prepared for maximum embarrassment, but it wasn’t enough. “and well…. *gulp* A..APP… APPLEJACK IS MY WIFE!!” End of Ch. 10